New Delhi [India], August 4 (ANI): Former senior diplomat Surendra Kumar on Tuesday said that Bangladesh should wait for deposed PM Sheikh Hasina's proposed virtual address before reacting, stressing that India should not be seen as a party to any political activity or incitement in Bangladesh.

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said that Bangladesh's concerns stem from its position that Hasina is a deposed leader facing serious legal charges and that Dhaka has also sought her extradition from India.

He said, 'Bangladesh's main argument is that she's a fugitive, accused, punished, I think for a death sentence, and she's here. And they have also put in a request for extradition. So she should not be allowed to do any political work.'

Kumar, however, noted that India has not rejected Bangladesh's extradition request and that the matter is being dealt with through a legal process.

He said, 'Our argument is your request for extradition has not been rejected; it's being considered; it's a legal process.'

He also stressed that the proposed address is not an official Indian function. He said, ' And this is not an official Indian function. It's a Foreign Correspondents Club [FCC]. It has been working here for many, many years. They invited somebody to speak.'

Kumar cautioned against speculating about what Hasina might say in her address or whether it could trigger unrest in Bangladesh. He said, 'We should not pre-judge; she has not spoken, we don't know what she's going to say, to jump that she can incite her party supporters back home in Bangladesh and there might be some kind of reaction which may be against the government. '

'These are all kinds of hypothetical speculation. We should only wait for that,' he added.

The former diplomat said India should not be considered a party to any attempt to incite people in Bangladesh, stressing that any political fallout would be an internal matter for the country.

'India is not a party to inciting the people in Bangladesh. This is their internal matter,' Kumar said.

He further noted that Hasina belongs to the Awami League, a political party that had remained in power in Bangladesh for many years, and urged Dhaka to wait for her remarks before escalating the issue. 'But the fact is that Hasina belongs to a party which has been there in power for so many years. So I think we should not really make hue and cry about something or create what you call the storm in a teacup,' he said.

'Let us wait and see what she says, and then the Bangladesh government can react the way they want to,' Kumar added.

Earlier, on Monday, Bangladesh had urged India to prevent deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina from making political speeches from Indian territory, warning that such statements risk destabilising bilateral relations, its foreign ministry said.

The issue was raised in a meeting between the newly appointed High Commissioner of India to Dhaka, Dinesh Trivedi and Humaiun Kobir, the Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

On July 17 this year, India said that Dhaka's request for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina is 'under examination' given the legalities and the judicial processes involved.

Hasina had fled to India on August 5, 2024, following massive student-led protests that forced her resignation.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal had sentenced her to death after convicting her of crimes against humanity. The charges were tied to the state crackdown on the 2024 student-led demonstrations that ultimately led to the fall of her Awami League government, with the tribunal holding her accountable for ordering or failing to stop the fatalities of demonstrators during the political unrest. (ANI)